Check out tonight's NHL best bets, picks and predictions for Tuesday, December 3.
We're two months into the season and the standings are starting to take shape. But what can we expect from a jam-packed slate of NHL hockey? I've come up with two NHL best bets, including a moneyline pick and an anytime goalscorer pick.
NHL Best Bets, Picks
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our NHL betting staff is targeting from today's slate of games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 7 p.m. | |
  | 9 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NHL Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Islanders vs. Canadiens
The New York Islanders are a dumpster fire. I can go on and on about how the Isles have consistently accepted mediocrity for the past three to four years, but that’s neither here nor there.
Whether you believe it or not, the stats do favor them. They’ll never wow you with offense, but defensively, they can hang with just about anyone for 40 minutes. The final 20 is where everything turns to dust.
New York is the worst third-period/overtime team in the league and it’s not close with a -22 goal differential in the closing minutes of a game.
It may have pulled out a shutout win against Buffalo on Saturday, but it’s lost six out of its last eight – five of them with leads in the third period.
The squad is just deflated and the Islanders play the Montreal Canadiens, who have been in a rut themselves – losing four out of its last five.
Despite that rut, Montreal has played decently. Since November 1, the Habs have been playing at a decent 5-on-5 rate with a 48.62 xGF% and a 2.99 xGA/60 on the defensive end.
They’ve also been solid on the power play, scoring at a 20.8% clip and will get reinforcements with sniper Patrik Laine making his season debut.
It’s the perfect storm for Montreal. The Islanders are abhorrent on the penalty kill and the power play. Meanwhile, the Habs’ special teams are constantly improving.
I’m taking the home team because I can’t, in good conscience, bet the Islanders until that roster changes.
Pick: Canadiens ML (+122)
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Blue Jackets vs. Flames
The air is going to get awfully dusty in the Scotiabank Saddledome tonight.
The Calgary Flames will honor Johnny Gaudreau and his family tonight, as both teams he played for in his career will square off.
They both played last month, where the Columbus Blue Jackets came on top, 5-2, but Calgary is where Gaudreau played the bulk of his career.
One of his best friends and long-time teammate, Sean Monahan, will be there, suiting up for the Jackets, and his career resurgence has been a revelation.
The veteran center is averaging a smidge under a point per game and has been a massive addition to this team. The story alone is cause for a Monahan bet, but seeing how efficient he’s been this season is all the more reason.
Not only is he driving play at a high level (29th of all forwards in expected goals), but he consistently finds himself in high-danger scoring areas. Out of all players (minimum 50 minutes played), he’s 12th in unblocked high-danger attempts.
It’s been an unexpectedly good season for the Flames, but I wouldn’t classify them as the most efficient. According to Evolve Hockey, they’re 21st in expected goals and 17th in xGA/60 in the past month.
Columbus, on the other hand, is 13th in expected goals with an arsenal of play drivers, not just in Monahan but also Kirill Marchenko, Kent Johnson and Zach Werenski.
I’m happy to back Monahan to score in honor of his buddy.
Pick: Sean Monahan Anytime Goal Scorer (+300)
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